Memento Mori
by Ciel the Hedgehog
Summary: Is it more important to have power, or to be accepted? How long does it take for the reasons to be lost within confusion, betrayal, and blood? Shadow never wanted to know, but when his family gets involved...he has no choice but to find out.
1. Gathering Gloom

**Bang, baby! Ciel is back! Yeah, I know I've basically been gone for...about a year...but hey, look now! I'm back, and with a new story to boot!  
...Okay, so I technically already started it on deviantArt...but it's new for here. Be happy.**

**Anyway, this story takes place after both ****Brotherhood**** (which is on semi-permanent hiatus), and Crimsonobsidianrose's currently uncompleted story, Project: Silhouette. It isn't necessary to read either of those to understand it, but for those who have, and know the characters, props to you.**

**I would say more, but I'm saving it until the author note at the end of the chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Time was running out, and it was running all too quick.

Cloaked in gray, as if it was made of sullen and foreboding clouds, a figure wandered. It was searching, watching, waiting…

Something had to be started before the end. The last and final rite, after which all the dark and painful years would finally be ended. Oh, how wondrous that end would be. How much would end because of it? How many other years, how many lives?

No, that didn't matter. Not now.

Out of the cloak of clouds came the rifle, bright as a lightning bolt and loud as the thunder. This would be the sealer of fate.

Time was running out.

It was ready.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The news, Shadow thought, was mostly about things that were relatively pointless. This was probably because humans ran most of the networks in Station Square, and so, the news was mostly about human things. Mortal things too, which wasn't all that important to the Ultimate Lifeform. Sure, he wasn't invincible, but he'd last far longer than at least ninety-nine percent of the earth's current population.

It did catch his interest, however, when watching a report on a recent heist (having nothing better to watch while going through his morning ritual of cleaning his vast collection of firearms) that he noticed a black blur in the background. It was slower than someone like Sonic, but still…

"Gem, did you see that?" The scarlet-streaked hedgehog craned his head behind him, where another black hedgehog was sitting. Unlike the Ultimate Lifeform, this one had sky-blue markings to replace the red, and he looked far less intimidating. The hedgehog, whose full name was Project Gemini, adjusted his sunglasses as he glanced at the screen.

"I see it. Prob'ly Krowe."

"…Who?"

Gemini blinked. "Project Krowe. One of the earlier creations, he-"

"Hold on a second." Shadow shook his head, turning his attention from both the machine gun in his hand and the TV. "Another project? Like you, me, Ciel and Silhouette?" The latter were two other siblings, both of which were technically younger than Shadow.

"Duh." Gemini rolled his eyes, absently searching for a comb he had been using a minute or two prior. "Did you honestly think we were the only ones, Shadow? Ol' Gerald had to make tons of projects before he got to your Ultimate Greatness, thank you very much. You just never met them, and it happens that the ones you do know -which would be Ciel, Sil, and I- don't talk much to the others. But yeah, there are more."

"…How many?"

"I lost count…but I'm tempted to say about thirty." The blue-streaked sibling sighed at the ignorance of his younger brother, who had a semi-horrified expression on his face.

"You mean to say I have even more siblings," He growled, a statement more than a question. "Great. It's enough of a hassle to deal with the ones I know already!" Dealing with even more (especially any amount more than ten) was a recipe for disaster that Professor Gerald probably had not anticipated.

"We aren't that much of a handful, brother," Gemini said with a chuckle. "When was honestly the last time we got into trouble?"

It was about that moment that all noise was replaced by a gunshot so loud, it seemed as if it had been fired right next to the sibling's heads. The blue-streaked hedgehog covered his ears to block out the sound, as Shadow instinctively bolted up, trying to locate the source of the sound. Outside? Yes. With his current weapon, a modified AK-47, in hand, he ran out and nearly tripped over the body, he was running so fast.

Right in front of him was Ciel, with a bullet hole in the side of his head, and the source of the wound lying nearby. Ciel was completely limp; the mysterious halo that floated over his head, along with the mutated wings, gave him the appearance of a bloody angel. At least, he would have been bloody if he was bleeding…

"Ciel? What the hell just happened?"

With a groan, the winged hedgehog lifted himself up, and pulled the bullet out of his head. For a brief second, Shadow could see inside the empty shell that was his brother's body, before the hole naturally repaired itself shut. Unlike anyone else the Ultimate Lifeform knew, Ciel ran solely on life energy; it would take more than a bullet to take him out, most of the time.

"Ciel? Earth to Ciel."

"I just got shot in the head," Ciel replied groggily. Noticing the gun in his brother's hand, he added, "That wasn't you, was it?"

"I'd kill him if it was, but I was with him when the shot fired off." Gemini had run right behind Shadow, and was now kneeling on the ground to examine his little brother. Even though the blue-striped sibling knew his little brother was okay, he still felt responsibility for him all the time; it was something Shadow never understood too well.

"Besides," said angst-hog added, "It'd be hard to do such a clean headshot with this. Especially since, if you weren't…you, your head would have exploded due to the place where you were hit."

"…Ick."

"Exactly. I'd say that if anyone could pull that off, it'd most likely be…a sniper…" As he said this, his scarlet eyes automatically searched around for any place a sniper could possibly be, but there weren't that many advantageous spots, and the few places available were empty.

"My question is, who would dare snipe Ciel?" Gemini asked in concern. "Sure, he isn't exactly the most stable person-"

"You don't need to bring THAT up," Ciel argued.

"-But a full out assassination attempt? Don't you think anyone ticked off with him would, oh, I dunno…call the police first?"

Shrugging, the Ultimate Lifeform noticed something. There was a small scrap of paper taped to the wall, along with a bullet just like the one that had been fired at Ciel. The writing were barely legible, as if written by a pen that was almost out of ink.

"Anzemain," Shadow read aloud. "What the hell does that mean?"

Gemini raised an eyebrow. "That name sounds vaguely familiar. I swear, I've read about someone with that name…should be in one of my books." He stood up, lifting Ciel up with him. "We should probably get out of the open anyway. If that sniper or whatever comes back, he'd have a harder time hitting Ciel if we're with him in the apartment, right?"

Shadow nodded, as he watched his brothers head inside. He followed a moment later, unable to shake off the feeling that things were about to change for the worse.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It's remarkable how in-tune twins could be, even when separated by miles and miles. While few of Gerald's projects actually were twins, their DNA was, for the most part, extremely similar. It was probably no surprise, then, that on the other side of the country, another group of projects made their own discovery.

Around there, it was about five o'clock in the morning. There was a small forest known as the Everpine woods, a place that was left alone by the local villagers for one good reason. More precisely, seven good reasons; the woods were inhabited by six strange, dark hedgehogs with unbelievably chaotic powers…and one robot.

At their secluded house in the middle of Everpine, everyone was still asleep, save for one. This hedgehog was pure black with deep violet markings, and he had been up all night -as usual- working on various experiments. That was what he always did. He suppressed a yawn as he wandered into his office, waiting for the caffeine rush from his coffee to kick in.

"Good morning Oxion!" Chirped the computer, which clicked on immediately. On the screen was what appeared to be a miniature, computerized project of Gerald's, standing amongst the cluttered folders of the desktop.

The violet-marked hedgehog -whose name was indeed Oxion- was fixated with cleaning the smudge off his glasses, nearly missing the chair as he sat down. "I didn't realize it was already morning, . Now tell me, what's so important that you're waiting for me already, instead of, oh, I don't know…playing those damn online games you always clutter MY computer with?"

"But Ox, I found something really, really important!"

Shuddering at the dreaded nickname (and lack of sleep), Oxion rolled his eyes. "Well then, what the bloody hell is it?"

"You know how you were researching power removal last week?"

"Of course; I was trying to finish those damn gloves for Regal." That particular sibling had the odd ability to rapidly deteriorate whatever he touched, but could never completely quell that ability in his hands. Gloves that could stop deterioration would be a wonder, but sadly, none of Oxion's attempts thus far had worked.

On-screen, grinned. "Last night, I was randomly checking some of those related links you always ignore, and I found this!" The computerized hedgehog literally pulled up a web browser.

Oxion watched in interest, eyes quickly scanning the page as he read bits aloud. "Domortia…a place rumored to have effects on those with supernatural powers. It is believed to have the ability to either extinguish power completely, or inversely, to increase power drastically. , I don't have time for rumors."

"Keep reading!"

"…About forty-five years ago, an expedition was launched to explore the area where Domortia was rumored to exist. Of all the scientists who were chosen for the expedition, none came back. However, a small stone was sent back from one professor -damn site doesn't say how- which appears to have an effect on supernatural abilities. It is believed to be from Domortia…" Oxion read a bit more of the page to himself, which was about how bits of the stone had been used in research for affecting power. Unbelievably enough, some of the later tests were ones he had been examining for the past week.

grinned mischievously, stepping in front of the page. "So? What do you think?"

The violet-marked scientist made no comment, still trying to believe what he was reading. _If I can find this place, just think of all I can discover! I'll be able to fix our powers…_

_…_

_I can get rid of MY powers._

"It's definitely worth investigating," Oxion admitted as he realized this. "Please look up where that stone is being held. I have to pack, and figure out who we're bringing with us."

"Okay!" The computer program went to work, and suddenly paused for a moment. "Hold on, Ox. What do you mean 'we'?"

Having practically run halfway out the room already, Oxion poked his head back in. "You honestly think I'm leaving you here with Ferric and Jengo? Don't be foolish. Now find where that stone is, and figure out what files you'll need." And with that, the scientist -whom had rarely seen more excited after two days without sleep- ran back out.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Anzemain…Anzemain…" Gemini was muttering under his breath, flipping through the pages of yet another one of his books. The trio had already gone through at least half of the blue-striped sibling's collection of spellbooks, magic, darkness, and anything in between. So far, they had found nothing.

"Are you sure this guy's in one of your books?" Shadow grumbled, tossing a book about various hexes behind him. "Oddly, I don't think someone who tried to kill Ciel with a gun would leave us a note about some old magician. Do you think that's likely?"

"Need I remind you, brother, that we've dealt with weirder things than this?" The mage dejectedly shut a book about dark magic through the ages. "Of course, I could be wrong…"

"I found it!" Ciel exclaimed, waving a book about magical artifacts high above his head (occasionally bumping the book into his halo).

"Good job Ciel!" Gemini exclaimed. "So, who is he?"

Both siblings gathered around their little winged brother, who was pointing excitedly to a passage. "This Anzemain guy was a professor that had the ability to create warp hole. Apparently, he did lots of stuff…but he went to check out this one place, and no one's seen him since."

"Really?" The Ultimate Lifeform asked sarcastically. "Fascinating. And we care because…?"

Ciel shrugged. "I dunno. Oh, look here! It says that the last time anyone heard from him, it was from a small package he sent on an expedition. It was a small stone, and a letter! That's it…and the place he was in was called…Domortia…"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Silhouette stared out at the vast emptiness of the road behind her, seated in the back of a truck filled with bags of all sorts of stolen goods. She hadn't taken part in the heist this time, though she admitted it had been tempting. Briefly, she wondered how Shadow, Gemini, and Ciel were doing; she missed them.

"Why the long face?" Silhouette turned around, tearing her ruby eyes from the road. Arella was leaning out of the window of the passenger seat, grinning as the wind whipped at her cyan bangs. Okay, so Sil didn't honestly know if Arella was a he or a her, but everyone just called Arella a girl anyway; it was easier that way.

"Guess I'm just a little homesick," Silhouette replied. "Wondering how my brothers are doing."

"Can't say I blame you. I'd like to meet your brothers sometime; they sound like interesting people." Arella's little pink hat almost flew off, but was blocked by a barrier created by its owner. Silhouette grabbed the hat for her sister, and handed it back.

"Hey Krowe, where are we headed next?" The ruby-striped project asked. Up in the driver's seat, a hedgehog with dirty gold markings shrugged.

"Ah dunno," he said with his odd southern accent. "Ah was thinkin' a casino, but since the news somehow managed ta catch us in the act…maybe we should lie low fer awhile."

No one said anything about this idea. To Silhouette, it sounded boring, and even more lonely than it already was here on this highway. Maybe she shouldn't have left her job at the black market…

Her eyes drifted up at a large and colorful billboard on the other side of the road, but she didn't notice what it was advertising. To be honest, what she saw was an odd, out of place gray spot.

Wait. That wasn't a spot, but that was a…person?

Before the vagabond projects even had time to blink, there were the combined sounds of a thunderclap, and an explosion. Silhouette was suddenly tossed into the air, as she summoned negative chaos energy in preparation for a fight. Where was that figure? Where had he gone?

Realizing that she was still in the air, the ruby hedgehog glanced around. Krowe had activated his powers of gravity control, keeping the projects floating safe above the road. The truck, however, was a different story; it was now a smoldering wreck, and the merchandise with it was history.

"That was some quick thinking Krowe," Arella said. "We could have been killed in that, but you got us out just in time."

Krowe, however, was not at all happy. "Dammit, ah just stole all that! And mah truck…how come every time ah get a car, it explodes?"

"Cool your jets," Silhouette snapped. "At least we aren't dead, moron. But the guy who shot at us can't be that far off."

There was a second gunshot, surprising them enough that they were all dropped to the ground. The ruby-streaked sister pried herself off of the hot road, glancing around at the damage. She was in the middle of the road, Krowe was on top of the wrecked truck, and Arella was…

"Sis, you're bleeding!" She shouted. The cyan project, who had landed next to the broken truck, had a bullet wound in her left leg. She blinked dizzily, as if she was having a hard time registering what was going on.

"Ah, fuck this," The dusty-gold striped bandit growled, ripping off a sleeve on his shirt and running over to tie the wound up. He made fast work on it, and then picked up his sister bridal-style. Silhouette was still looking around, turning at every sound in case it was that sniping gray S.O.B.

"He couldn't have possibly gotten away that quickly," She growled. "I swear, when I catch him…"

"We'll all catch him," Krowe interrupted. "Shootin' at mah truck's one thang, but shootin' at mah sisters too? Ah won't stand fer it. Bastard's goin' down."

Arella shook her head, still collecting her thoughts. "You guys don't need to do that…but since I know you will anyway…we have bigger problems at hand."

"What?" Both of the other siblings asked simultaneously.

"…We don't have a ride." They all stared at the horizon, which was a continuation of the long and dusty road.

"…Guess we better start walking."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

With the earlier commotion at least somewhat settled, Shadow was back to polishing his guns. He had a lot on his mind, and whenever that happened, it seemed that working with his weapons of destruction could relax him, even if it was just a little bit.

"Meep?" Ciel's pet, a little Black Wing named Miffskin, was floating above the angst-hog's head. Ciel had no problem understanding it, but as for Shadow, he couldn't tell if it was concerned, or just hungry.

"Your owner got shot today," Shadow commented. "If he had actually died again, what would you do, you stupid little alien?"

"Meepem meep!" Apparently offended, the little alien bit Shadow's ear. She had only recently grown in her teeth, but they were still quite sharp. The Ultimate Lifeform clenched his teeth, and then turned his current gun toward Miffskin. Miffy, knowing he meant business, flew away as fast as possible.

Shadow growled, going back to his work. He couldn't help but wonder, what if Ciel HAD died again, just on chance? The winged sibling had died before, before Shadow could remember…but Gemini had brought him back from the dead, and even though that had screwed Ciel up (the whole reason why Ciel was an empty, winged shell living off of life force in the first place), he was still basically alive…but what would Shadow have felt if his little brother had died?

Anger, definitely. A want for revenge.

No, he told himself, don't go there. He had already done that for Maria, so he didn't need to go on another killing spree. Besides, Ciel was still alive, so why even think about if he wasn't?

Snapping out of his thoughts, the Ultimate Lifeform noticed his blue-striped sibling sitting next to him on the couch.

"Gemini. What's up? You look like something's on your mind."

Gemini shrugged, wiping his bangs out of his face. "Oh, I was just thinking…that Domortia place. The one we looked up after finding out about Anzemain."

"What about it?" Shadow asked, though he already had a feeling where this was going.

"I think…I think I want to go after it. I want to find it." Leaning back, the mage pulled off his sunglasses, staring at them. "Rumor is, it can increase one's power, right? Well, if I can get to it, and get enough power…maybe I can fix Ciel. I think it's worth a shot, right?"

"I'm not sure." Shadow admitted as he cleaned his current gun, which happened to be his own sniper rifle. "No one's come back, from what we read."

"We're better than the others who have gone. Shadow, look me in the eye. Look at me."

Despite the oddness of the request, Shadow did so. His brother's eyes were the color of his markings, sky blue, but with a ring of violet from his magic.

"Even if there's just a chance that doing this will help Ciel, I have to do it. Do you understand? He's never going to be fully alive again unless I take a risk, no matter what it means. But…Ciel's your brother too." Gemini paused, making sure that Shadow was paying attention. "It's your choice. I'm going, no matter what, but are you coming too?"

"Of course," Shadow replied without hesitation. "As you said, he's my brother too…and I don't want him to die again."

The mage smiled at this. "Good. I was hoping you'd say that. Come on then; we've got to get ready to go. Sooner we leave, the sooner we can get started. I'll go tell Ciel."

Gemini stood up and went to find the winged sibling. Again, Shadow felt that nagging feeling of impending trouble…but at least it was his choice to go after it.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The first seeds had been sown.

Its rifle had fired, but still, it was not satisfied. It hungered for more, and its master was more than willing to obey. There was much, much work to be done still…

"Hello!"

Vaguely surprised, it turned around, a cloud changing direction. Another one of those from the supposed 'Ultimate Life Form' project, it seemed. Aside from the natural black, this one seemed unusually bright; it was full of color, from the odd magenta stripes, to the bright turquoise top-hat with gold button eyes resting atop his head.

What an odd coincidence that a project should turn up here, it thought.

"…May I help you?" It asked, its voice an unidentifiable whisper from years without use. The enigmatic project smiled.

"Turbines may require candles, but I do not. It is just, the Nom-Nom hat and I decided to drop in for a moment." Great; an insane one. It looked up at the hedgehog's leering hat, and the rifle itched to get this one out of the way.

It fired.

The enigmatic hedgehog raised an eyebrow, and put a hand to his hat. The bullet, about to impact the hat-covered skull, suddenly turned into a ridiculously small bubble.

Clouds rumbled in surprise, but this was quite interesting. Maybe this one could be useful after all…

"Tell me," it murmured. "What is your desire? Power, or acceptance?"

The hedgehog cocked his head to the side, the hat leaning ridiculously far over. "Why, I am not sure. My purpose as of now is to seek a purpose. Of course," he added as an afterthought, "I may know a someone or two who would be more than willing for…whatever it is you said. I do not care to remember."

Aiming its rifle of the skies at the intruding stranger's forehead, the clouds rumbled, "Then remember this. Tell your…someone, that to get what they seek, to seek out Domortia, and to seek it quickly."

There was a long and pregnant pause, waiting to see if lightning would strike. Without warning, the clouds turned away for a new course, leaving the hat-bearing hedgehog to watch.

"Well, wasn't that an odd fellow," he remarked to his hat. "And people say that we are strange, Nom-Nom my friend!"

The hat stared on blankly, large button eyes staring at the spot where the cloud-coated figure stood moments before.

"You silly goose, it doesn't matter that the spawning of coat hangers is close at hand! It seems we have more important things to do! Come now, and let us be off. I'm sure a certain inkblot will wish to hear of this. I, Mado, have not let down my worrisome brother yet, now have I?"

Had the hat been able to reply, it would have said yes, yes Mado had. But it couldn't, and probably never would, so it just kept silent as it and its master wandered off, leaving the odd clouds behind…

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**And there we have it, the first chapter. I sincerely hope to finish this story, for it has been in my head for quite awhile. Of course, it will be a challenge to successfully write up so many characters (Hint: Gemini's estimate is about right), but I shall do the best I can. And those who don't like lots of characters…rest assured they won't be here the whole time.**

**Why? Because...there will be a hell of a lot of death later, I'll say that. Don't worry: Shadow is one of, if not the, main character of this story. So he might be safe. Safer. Er...hey look, a distraction!**

**Anyway, for the record; if you have any questions at all, or anything that needs clearing up, feel free to ask. I may need to explain it in the story, or in the Author Notes like right here. We'll see.**

**So, I hope you all enjoy the rest of the story!**

**~Ciel**

**Disclaimer for the rest of the story, unless otherwise noted:**** Shadow, Sonic, Gerald, and all other characters that appear in the Sonic games are property of SEGA. Silhouette belongs to Crimsonobsidianrose. Aura is owned by Rinsakura-chan. Werin, Tear, Skydra, and Light are in possession of Fortuna Draken. Hasster is under the ownership of Nero the Hedgehog1. , Blaine (and the SWORD organization), Cruxis, Binge, Haeos, Loki, Kin, Noxus, Violet (not a Shadow Sibling!), and Muriquis are all creations of Zion Kai, also known as Stryfe the Hedgehog (props to him for all the help on this fic!). **

**And, finally, all other characters and whatnot that appear here belong to I, Ciel the Hedgehog.**


	2. Quickening Pulse

**Alright, Chapter 2 is go! Shadow and co. shall appear later in the chapter…but some of the others need to get into the story first. Don't worry. Oh, and I decided I'm going to have a sort of recap at the beginning of each chapter, so it's a little easier to keep up with what's going on. You shall see in a minute.**

**Disclaimer still applies.**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

_Last time…_

_A mysterious figure wanders, a drifting cloud on an unknown course…_

_The Ultimate Lifeform learns he has more family than he first thought, at precisely the same time his brother is shot… _

_The only clue…_

_**Anzemain**_

_Discoveries are made about Domortia, a legend with control over powers, and plans are set into motion…_

_A life on the road is ruptured by a sudden attack, at the hands of a stranger, and the road ahead is long…_

_Another journey is decided, in order to find a cure in sake of brotherhood…_

_And the clouds rumble on, with insanity rushing the other way…_

…

_What shall become of the world now?_

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The sniper had another project in its sight. This time, it would be sure to kill.

With eyes dark like night, the project ran through dingy back alleys, trying not to fall as he ran. It was in vain, like trying to escape the fall of a rainstorm, or the strike of lightning. This puny little hedgehog thought he could escape? He was not worthy.

It aimed the rifle towards the project's head, and fired. The very sound seemed to shake the looming brick walls.

The hedgehog cursed loudly, but had somehow avoided being hit. The bullet was a small pool of liquid metal on the concrete, rippling slowly. So, that was the power this project contained…

Not even needing to run, the figure in the cloak of clouds trailed after him, itching to fire, lusting to fire and mix the liquefied bullet with sweet, sweet blood…

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Alright everyone, attention please. Can you all shut up for a minute?" Oxion turned toward his siblings, all of which were watching him expectantly while whispering amongst themselves. By his side was Synthica, a battle robot that looked vaguely like a light-colored cat.

"Desist in communication," the android ordered, "or I shall be forced to render each of you unconscious. Listen to what Father has to say." Adding to this order was the fact that two small machine guns had popped out of her wrists, and they were aimed at the line of siblings. All of them immediately shut up, since they all knew that Synthica never joked around.

"Thank you Synthica," Oxion said with a nod. "Now, as you all should be aware, and I have discovered information about a place called Domortia. Has everyone had this explained to them?" All five siblings in front of him nodded. "Good. Now, I myself shall be traveling to the research center where the Domortian Stone is kept. Along with Synthica, , and myself, I shall be taking one of you along."

"Ooh, pick me!" Exclaimed Ferric, a dusty-orange striped project with a knack for gadgets and blowing things up. "This place is way too boring! I wanna' check out this Domo place!"

Rolling his eyes, Oxion continued, "I shall be taking one of you along, and the others shall stay here and keep an eye on the house while I'm gone." Everyone nodded in agreement. Now, to decide who was going to go…

First, there was Addicus, a lanky and ashen hedgehog with dark gray streaks and covered in belts. His power was to form particles into various objects or illusions. Useful…but Addicus, though quiet, had the most level head. He needed to stay here to keep the others in control.

Second was Plague. Plague was Oxion's lab assistant; a green-striped, chipper (though a bit of a suck-up) project whose power was to modify and spread illnesses. A bad idea to take out of the house, or else there would be mass infections, most likely.

Third, Ferric. Street knowledge, good with machinery (he always had bits of scrap metal incorporated into his clothes, and some gadget or another in his pocket), and basically had the power to blow up just about anything. That was a maybe, though there was less reason to take him then there was to keep him at home.

Regal was the fourth one, and his fur had somewhat light purple highlights. Again, he rapidly deteriorated anything he touched, and was arrogant as hell. Taking him along would be annoying…but it might be worse to leave him.

And finally, there was…

"Where the bloody hell did Jengo go?" Oxion asked suspiciously. "I swear he was here a moment ago…"

"I'm over here." Everyone turned to see a pale hedgehog with sickly light-green streaks, and covered in a sort of metal armor with a small backpack that was the hedgehog's life support system. "I was just checking out the lamp," he continued. "It's tail was getting twisted."

"…Oh. Quite alright, then. Carry on."

Ah yes, Jengo, Oxion thought to himself. The mystery project. There had been no records of him in any of Gerald's files, but he had apparently been right after the Biolizard, hence the life support system. However, aside from that and the armor fused to his body, the only odd thing about Jengo was the fact that his vision was flipped; he saw living beings as robots, and robots as living beings. Other Ultimate Lifeform projects were the only exceptions to this odd sort of sight, and no one knew why. It was certain, however, that Jengo was going to stay here.

With a moment to think, Oxion finally said, "I've decided. Regal, you're coming with me."

"REGAL?!" Ferric practically shouted. "You're taking him of all people?!?"

"Why, certainly," The violet scientist replied. "I'm going to require someone to test the basic effects of the stone on, and I'm sure Regal wouldn't mind…" He turned to the arrogant hedgehog. "Of course you wouldn't mind, would you?"

"Not at all." Regal sauntered forward, sneering at the others. "It's only natural for you to pick someone superior for the task."

"He doesn't realize he's gonna' be a lab rat," Plague whispered to Addicus, who nodded gravely.

"Quiet, all of you!" Oxion growled. "I know not all of you appreciate my choice, but I assure you, I know more about what I'm doing than you do. We'll be leaving in about an hour. That is all." With that, the scientist turned on his heels and exited the room. Regal followed after him, giving a haughty wave and smirk to the others as he passed, and Synthica exited last.

Ferric shook his head after the others left. "God, Regal's such a jerk. I hope that stone zaps all of his power away."

"I don't think it's that strong…" Plague muttered.

"I know, but I'd love to see it anyway." Right after saying this, Ferric's bright orange eyes suddenly lit up, and a devilish grin crept onto his face. The others involuntarily stepped back.

Jengo glanced up, having fixed the lamp's 'tail,' and blinked at the sight of his dusty brown brother. "I know that look, and it isn't a good one. What're you planning?"

"Simple," Ferric said. "We're going with them."

Plague gasped. "But Boss said-"

"Ol' Ox picked Regal to go with him, of all people," Ferric reminded him. "Besides, he doesn't have to know. They'll leave for town, grab the van, and drive off. After they've done that, we'll grab the car Krowe left last time, and we'll follow him in that."

The others looked quite skeptical about this.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to drive her so soon after her surgery?" the armored hedgehog asked, referring to the most recent fix-up that had been given to the beaten up vehicle.

"It'll be fine," Ferric replied. "I haven't had a car break down on me yet."

"That's because you haven't fixed a car before this one," Addicus reminded him.

"Shut up. Anyway, are we in on this, or would you rather sit around here until god-knows-when the others come back?"

The siblings all exchanged glances. Each of them knew that this was a bad idea, especially coming from the single-minded Ferric. Of course, anything was better than staying at home…

"I want to go," Jengo said suddenly. "That Domortia place sounds…interesting. I want to see it." He turned to the others, a strangely determined look in his pale eyes. "I'm going. How about you?"

Plague nodded. "As long as Boss doesn't find out! Besides, your idea sounds really good, and it would be…kinda' nice to leave."

Addicus sighed. "I guess I wouldn't be able to change your minds, would I?"

"Nope!" All three replied.

"…Fine," Addicus said, "I'll go…but only if I get to drive."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The Stereorail Music Store was deathly silent, compared to the consistently loud guitar riffs and bass beats that usually accompanied the store's open hours. Three casually dressed, black hedgehog siblings, none of them the owner, waited inside.

"You think he'd be here soon," remarked one with amethyst streaks. "Registration for that underground fighting tournament's in about an hour or so." He was rubbing his fingers together in agitation, the other two watching him.

"He'll be here soon enough Werin," replied another one, who had sea green marks instead. "Gantz isn't one for being late."

"…But he's been gone for over an hour…" added the third one, wiping his brunette bangs from his eyes. "Binge, are you sure he's alright?"

Binge, the one with the sea-green marks, sighed while he tried to fix the bandana he was wearing. "I know he may not seem like the most reliable person…and it might be a good idea to go after him…but I can assure you, he's fine."

"Then why would it be a good idea to go after him if he's fine?" Werin asked in confusion. The brown one, named Hasster, nodded in agreement.

Binge simply shrugged. "He's fine because we haven't heard anything on the radio about cars and whatnot suddenly turning into puddles yet. Just trust me on this. The city isn't as dangerous as it seems when you know what you're doing."

It was at this precise comment that the store owner finally ran in, literally throwing the door open. He was panting, and sweat was mixing with the bright blue makeup he was wearing as he staggered to a halt. All three siblings watched their indigo brother in shock.

"…I told you Gantz was fine," Binge finally said.

"Fine? Fuck fine!" Gantz shouted, still trying to catch his breath as he leaned against the countertop. "I just had this…oh god, I have no idea who the hell he was, but he was fast, and he nearly hit me a few times too…"

"What? Who?" Hasster asked, eyes wide. Noticing that there were a few cuts on his worn brother, the brunette hedgehog muttered a few words under his breath, clicking his fingers together. The wounds instantly began to pull themselves shut.

Gantz hissed through his teeth at the first pull, though he seemed to get used to it quickly. "Right, healing spell. Thanks; scared me there for a minute."

"Are you going to keep us in the dark about what happened?" Werin asked in annoyance.

"I'm getting to that." Finally catching the rest of his breath, the indigo storekeeper took a deep breath and explained. "This weird guy in gray came out of nowhere -I swear, I didn't seem him 'til he was right in front of me- and he pulled out this rifle, and started trying to blast my brains out. I managed to shake him off finally, but…it was creepy. I'd think he was far behind me, and without warning, he'd just step out of thin air, I swear."

The others exchanged skeptical glances.

"I didn't know they had snipers like that in the city," Hasster said finally.

"They don't," Binge replied. "Not unless you somehow ticked off the mob again…"

Gantz shook his head. "No way. Couldn't be. He didn't look anything like a mobster. In fact, he looked more like…"

"Like that, by any chance?" The others turned to where Werin was pointing; there it was, a figure cloaked in gray, simply standing behind a rack of albums. Not an inch of its skin was visible, covered either by the large and flowing cloak, the steel-toed boots, or the wide-brimmed hat perched atop its head. The only thing on it that wasn't gray was the rifle in its hands, which was an almost shimmering white.

Without seeing the stranger's face, which was covered in shadows, they all knew it was grinning.

"There are many of you," it hissed in a raspy whisper. "I suppose that is good. More choices for my master, and more…executions for us."

"The hell you talking about?" Gantz shouted, hopping up as if he had never been tired. "You think you can chase me into my own store and-"

"Cool it for a minute," Werin said, putting a hand in front of his angered brother. When everyone was silent again, the amethyst project turned back to the figure. "I must say I don't like the idea of you barging in here any better than the others do…but who are you? What do you want with us?"

The figure fired a sound of thunder, and all four siblings scattered. The bullet struck the counter Gantz had been sitting on, and almost immediately, attacks were coming toward the figure at all sides. From Hasster, a burst of magic-sparked fire rushed forward, as slicing, solidified sound waves were fired from Werin. From Binge in the front came a torrent of pure ki energy, and Gantz was causing the floor underneath to begin liquifying and disappearing…

All the attacks missed.

The sniper was no longer standing there, and the attacks collided. The door was ripped off its hinges, and landed in the middle of the street. No one was sure what just happened.

"How did he move so fast?" Hasster asked in amazement. "He'd have to be faster than Sonic or something!"

"It wasn't natural speed," Binge said, looking disappointed. "It's some sort of energy. I think he uses it to warp from place to place."

"That'd explain more than one thing."

Gantz, meanwhile, was glaring daggers at the empty hole where the door once was as his fists shook with fury. The iron frame began to sag and melt, slowly pooling on the floor. Werin was the first to notice this.

"…Gantz, calm down. He's gone."

The liquidating project didn't reply immediately, but the metal stopped dissolving, at least. It reflected the ceiling lights of the shop, like colored water.

"Thinks he can threaten me and my shop, now does he?" Gantz asked to no one in particular. "He's wrong. I've done too much to get where I am now."

The others watched as he stormed towards the back, where the entry upstairs to his room was. The door swung open, and the store owner tilted his head slightly towards his brothers.

"Forget the tournament; I'm going after him." Without another word, he climbed out of sight. Binge glanced at the others with a 'sorry-about-this' sort of look on his face as he followed the shopkeeper. The door shut, leaving Hasster and Werin alone.

"Am I the only one with the feeling that we're going after that sniper person too?" the former of the two asked.

"I dunno about you," Werin replied, "But I personally don't like people trying to shoot me. 'Sides, that tournament would probably far too easy anyway."

Hasster nodded in agreement, eyes drifting to the liquefied doorframe. There had been something about that sniper…something extremely unnatural.

Following him was the only way to find out what it was.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

For the umpteenth time, Shadow wished he could have just Chaos Controlled to the Vomissa Research Center, where the stone from Domortia was being kept. There were, however, two problems preventing him from doing so. One, Gemini couldn't handle Chaos Energy that well. The most he could handle without feeling sick was a warp a mile or two away, and that wasn't much at all. Secondly…Shadow had never been to the VRC, and it was difficult to warp somewhere he hadn't been before without serious problems.

So, after various arguments, the trio ended up taking a ride on a train. The Ultimate Lifeform could never remember what it was called, and didn't care much either. He, Gemini, and Ciel walked into the first compartment.

"Ooh, look at all the people!" Ciel exclaimed. "I didn't know so many people liked trains!"

"I didn't think there were supposed to be this many either…" Shadow muttered.

A middle aged cat halfway down the aisle spoke up. "We're just sitting as far as possible from…_them._"

"Them who?" Gemini asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," a young mongoose said, "there were these two hedgehogs, a black one and a white one, and there was this HUGE suit of armor! And it was talking!"

The trio exchanged glances, as a human near the back added, "Say, don't these hedgehogs look like the black one?"

"…_Another Project?"_ Shadow wondered. _"Here, of all places? What an odd coincidence…"_

"We'd better get out of here," Gemini whispered to the others. "I don't know about you, but I really don't like the looks we're getting here."

"Agreed. We'll sit with the hedgehogs and armor in the back compartment, then. I want to see them."

Shadow, Gemini, and Ciel hurried out of the room, trying to ignore the stares they were getting. The closer they got to the back of the locomotive, the less people there were, until the last passenger section. There were, as the boy mentioned, three passengers.

The first was a small, white hedgehog that had yellow markings like Ciel. Her bright blue eyes were on the brothers, wide and cautious. The next passenger was indeed a giant suit of armor, colored ebony with purple detailing. It looked large and intimidating, and Ciel noticeably backed up upon seeing it. Despite this appearance, the armor was allowing the third passenger to sleep on it. This one, Shadow thought, reminded him of a sleeping Gemini; he was black-furred, with dull green stripes, and completely passed out.

Aside from the occasional snore, the room was completely silent as the hedgehogs and armor stared at each other. No wonder the other passengers left; they were probably even more freaked out, not used to strange situations like this.

"Mind if we sit here?" Gemini finally asked, lowering his sunglasses for a better view.

"Only if you mind us sitting here," The armor replied with a chuckle. "I'm surprised to see more of you projects here. You're everywhere, ain'tcha?"

The Ultimate Lifeform nodded, sitting down. The seats weren't as hard as he thought they'd be.

"I assume you know more of the projects then?" He asked.

"'Course. Noxus here visits them all the time. Hey Nox, wake up. You've got siblings here." The armor proceeded to prod the sleeping hedgehog, and Shadow found himself wondering what was inside the armor. Now that he thought about it, the voice sounded like a female, and he was a bit surprised by that. Beside him, he noticed Ciel looking out the window, and Gemini looking at the green-striped snoozer in interest.

Noxus woke up from his nap, blinking his eyes drowsily as he looked at the others. He looked a bit like a stoner waking up, to be honest.

"…Oh? Oh…hey there. I'm Noxus. Nice to meet you, little brothers."

"Little?" Shadow asked in annoyance.

"He was created a few years before we were," Gemini explained. "He's from the same research team that made me."

"Am I?" Noxus asked drowsily. "…Oh yeah. Huh, who'd have guessed?" With a shrug, he added, "Were you already introduced to these two while I was asleep?" The trio shook their heads. "Ah, good. This here is Violet…" The armor waved at the mention of her name, "…and this one is Project Aura."

"Never heard of her," The mage muttered, adjusting his sunglasses again. Shadow shrugged, not having heard of any of his newfound siblings in the first place.

The little white hedgehog blinked, staring at the floor. "…I was made before the rest of you, that's why. I'm a prototype." She paused, and managed to look at the others. "Who are you three?"

"I'm Shadow," said hedgehog explained. Pointing to his brothers, he added, "This is Gemini, and over here is Ciel."

"We're going to the Vomissa Research Center!" The latter of the three added, flapping his wings in excitement. "How about you guys?

Aura and Violet both turned to Noxus, who had a small grin on his face.

"I don't think I've been there before," He said. "It'd be nice to see a research center. Don't you think so?"

"As long as we aren't the ones being researched," Violet replied, shifting Noxus from his spot as she shrugged her massive armor. "Aura?"

The white hedgehog looked unnerved by this, with a tremble in her voice. "…What kind of research center is it?"

"Artifact research," Gemini explained, leaning back in his seat. "There's a stone there we need to check out."

"Oh." Aura nodded, as if relieved. "I'd like to see it too, then."

"Then it's settled," Noxus exclaimed, actually sitting up now. "We'll tag along, if you don't mind."

"…_Definitely not what I was expecting…"_ Shadow thought to himself. Ciel seemed to be pretty happy about it, though, and Gemini…

"Three new members joined your party!" The mage said, adding a small little trumpeting noise at the end.

"…What?" Pretty much everyone else asked.

Rolling his eyes, the mage muttered, "Video game reference. I don't suppose you'd get it."

Shadow sighed. _"Now that, I should have expected."_ He returned his gaze to the window outside, watching as the countryside rushed past. How soon until they made it, and until they found a way to fix Ciel?

…And how long until inevitable trouble occurred?

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The plan. It was coming together quite nicely.

The selected combatants were arriving quickly, like flies on a corpse. Pieces were falling in a perfect clockwork order, and no one had died yet.

…How sad. No one had died.

Shaking its head, the sniper resembling clouds pulled out its rifle, like a cloud suddenly firing lightning. Work had to be done still, and it hadn't arrived at the required destination yet either, now had it?

…It had been so long since it had been at Vossima. So long since it had seen…

But that was a memory, and memories did nothing. The cloud sniper shook its head a second time, raising the hand that was not holding the rifle. In front of him, a ripple formed, rapidly growing in size until it was the size of the figure itself. As the smaller waves faded off, the image of a room bathed in artificial light entered its sight.

It stepped through without hesitation, the portal behind it flowing into normalcy, as the sound of a gunshot tried to escape out.

Here was where the fun came in.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**And there you have it. **

**For those of you wondering, no, the sniper/rifle does not have storm powers. I just compare them to clouds and whatnot for effect. The liquefied bullet? In case you didn't know, the sniper was chasing Gantz at the beginning of the chapter, and Gantz has the ability to liquefy solid, inanimate materials, such as metal. Just clarifying that.**

**Now for Chapter 3, where the fun begins…**


	3. Reign of Blood

**Chapter 3. This chapter is, so far, my personal favorite. You shall see why once you begin to read...**

**Disclaimer still applies.**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

_Last time…_

_A mysterious figure chases its prey, wondering who is worthy enough to survive…_

_Unwilling to be left behind, a band of brothers follow their siblings, for what sounds like a grand adventure…_

_In reality…_

_**Danger**_

_Plans are cast aside for revenge, as blood and iron seep into the streets…_

_Misfit family members meet on a train, unaccepted by the rest of the world…_

_The clouds arrive at their destination, with a gunshot echoing behind…_

_Shall a hopeful journey turn sour…?_

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The Vomissa Research Center was located on a hill, just on the outskirts of a small and dingy town called Ender's Grove. While the VRC wasn't a top secret or massively important center, it did have some valuable work. Mainly the Domortian Stone. So, not only was there fencing and guard posts situated on the perimeters…but there was a purposefully long, grueling hike from Ender's Grove to the center, along a road that was always wet and muddy from the rain.

Shadow really, really wished he had a car here.

Noxus and his small group had decided to check the town out a bit before heading to the center, so Gemini, Ciel, and Shadow had left just after buying an umbrella. It was human sized, so there was room for all three to fit under it without being forced into a huddle.

Still, the mud wasn't doing any good. Neither was the grass, which was even more wet. The only reason Shadow's shoes weren't flooded was the fact that they were his airshoes, and he was floating enough off the ground to avoid drenching himself. He knew how bad it was, however, by the way Gemini was complaining.

"I swear, we should have taken a cab. Why didn't they have any cabs going up here? You could have stolen a taxi, and I wouldn't mind…"

"We could run, you know," The Ultimate Lifeform replied. "We'd get there a lot faster…"

"Sadly, that's starting to sound like a good idea." This was quite a statement, coming from the mage; while he was fairly fast, he hated any physical exertion that wasn't absolutely necessary. Shadow had heard why numerous times, but chose to ignore the reasons.

"Ciel's holding up better than you. Right Ciel?" When they got no reply, both brothers turned to the winged hedgehog. He was looking at something off in the distance.

"Look! Someone else is on the road, and they don't even have an umbrella!"

"They're even more foolish than we are," Gemini said, rolling his eyes. Shadow strained his eyes a bit farther in order to see the strangers. They were…also black?

No. It couldn't be.

Looking closer, he noticed the figures weren't just black. They had different markings; one had a sort of dusty gold, one had cyan, and the other…red, just like him.

He knew of only one other hedgehog with his color scheme.

"Silhouette!" He shouted, half expecting to be wrong. Surprisingly, the red streaked figure turned around, and in less than an instant, was standing in front of him. It was indeed the red-streaked little sister of theirs, Project Silhouette.

"…Shadow? Gem? Ciel?" She asked, as if she couldn't believe it either. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We're heading for the research center!" Ciel chirped, as if it weren't already obvious. "What about you?"

"Stalking someone," Silhouette replied with a trace of a smile. "We've been trailing him since this morning; we were lucky that he was only a few hours away."

"…We?" Shadow asked, glancing at the other two figures who hadn't run after Silhouette yet.

The ruby-striped sister nodded. "You wouldn't believe it…but we have even more siblings. I ended up with two of them. They're-"

"Projects Krowe and Arella, at your service!" The figures had run up to them now, with an unmistakable speed Shadow had seen in himself and his siblings. He got a better look at them now, and it clicked in his head that Krowe was the one supposedly on the news that morning. And now, he was standing in the middle of a muddy road, just as wet as the rest of them.

Well, that was certainly awkward. It had only been a few hours since the Ultimate Lifeform learned of his predecessors, and now, he already met…what, four new siblings now? Freak coincidence, or…

"Can't say ah've ever heard of ya," The dusty striped one, Krowe, snapped Shadow out of wondering with his southern twang of a voice. "Well, not before meetin' Sil here."

"We've heard so much about you from her!" The cyan one, Arella, added in excitement. She was already shaking Ciel's hand. "It's great to finally meet you, all of you!" It was surprising to Shadow; no one had ever sounded so honestly eager to meet him.

"Nice to meet you too!" Ciel added before anyone could reply. "Wanna' get out of the rain? We have plenty of room under our umbrella!"

"Don't need one." Arella pointed above her; there was what appeared to be a pane of floating glass overhead. Rain collided and bounced off, not even hitting the hedgehogs under it. "With barriers, you never need an umbrella!"

It was at this point that Shadow noticed something: Arella's leg was wrapped and covered in bandages, with a red stain. In fact, the cyan striped sibling was leaning slightly on her southern brother. That wound had to mean one thing…

"I suppose your 'target' did that?"

"Yeah." Krowe glared at her sister's wound in disgust. "Some sniper tried shootin' at us, and he nicked 'Rella here. He blew up the car, and that's bad enough…but screw 'round with my sisters, and nobody's gonna' get out alive!" He said this with a sort of fire in his eyes, blazing with wrath. Shadow realized he had seen that fire before, burning bright in Gemini's eyes.

"A sniper?" Ciel said this, looking surprised. "One showed up at our house too! He shot me in the head…but don't worry, I'm okay!" The newcomers exchanged glances at this.

"Was he by any chance…gray?" Arella asked. Ciel thought about this a moment, his eyes heading up towards the storm clouds above.

"…He might have. I'm not sure; I didn't get too good of a look." He shook his head. "Sorry."

A sniper? Attacking two sets of siblings in…one day? No matter how Shadow tried to look at it, the situation practically reeked of suspicion. In fact, it struck him as even stranger than the fact that he had run into more siblings in one day than he ever knew he had…and that was saying something, because Shadow was still trying to wrap his head around it.

"Let's get going," he said suddenly. The others gave him a surprised look.

"What's the rush?" Silhouette asked, her ears pricked up.

"Think about it. I don't know about you guys, Sil, but our sniper left us a message before he left. We traced it to here; I wouldn't doubt that our 'friend' is waiting for us…and I wouldn't be surprised if you found who you were after too."

"Well, when ya' put it that way…what're we waitin' for?" As soon as Krowe had said these words, he was already off, running back into the rain and muck. Stumbling a little as her support left her, Arella shook her head, following after Krowe with a limp and a barrier overhead.

"Don't worry; he always acts like that." Sil turned to her brothers, giving them a smirk.

"Hold on; are you actually smiling?" Gemini asked, playfully tapping on his sister's head. "Either you aren't my sister, or those two have been rubbing off on you."

"Don't push it." Silhouette was still grinning as she said this, however, as she wandered back into the rain as well. Ciel ran after her with the umbrella, leaving the last two siblings to stand in the rain for a moment. A small chill ran through Shadow, and his gaze shifted from the forms of his siblings to a thin, almost unidentifiable trail of smoke, seeping from the outline of a building in the distance.

Gemini removed his sunglasses to wipe the rain off, but he seemed to notice the smoke too. Shadow was scarcely able to notice his brother shudder, as if he knew what was ahead of them.

"Ever get the feeling that you're about to do something that'll screw you over?"

"All the time, brother. All the time."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Silhouette had never been a big fan of research centers. She had been in far too many of them, and none of them had ever done her any good. The only reason she was willingly going into this one was to escape the rain, and maybe find out if the sniper was here. She had left Ciel back with Arella when they caught up with her, so she was simply following Krowe on her own. There he was, just up ahead at the gates…

Wait, who was that with him? It couldn't be…

"Oxion? Regal? Synthica? What're you guys doing here?"

The trio turned around at the sight of their names. None of them seemed at all happy to be in the rain (even Synthica seemed a little dismayed, since her ribbons were getting wet), and the skin under Oxion's fur was red, as if he'd been yelling without taking a breath.

"We found some…interesting research about something here. Wouldn't you know it, they just so happen to be bloody locked up the one day I come here!" Oxion shook his head in disbelief, trying to catch his breath in the meantime.

"And why are you here, little Sil?" Regal asked mockingly. "Did you come all the way just to see us?"

Sil pointed behind her; there was only a horribly muddy road, a rusty car stuck in a nearby grassy ditch, and the other five siblings. "I'm after someone, actually. Krowe and Arella are right behind me with my brothers."

There was an odd, almost wolfish look to the scientist's eyes at this comment. "Your brothers? You mean the set with the Ultimate Lifeform, yes?"

"Set? Ox, they're just like the rest of us, even if Shadow's the Ultimate Lifeform. Nothing special enough to get worked up over." If there was one thing Sil hated, it was when any of her siblings were treated differently from anyone, even each other. It was just another reminder that they weren't normal.

"Of course. I didn't mean to sound…distant, I guess would be the word." He sighed. "I wouldn't have time to research them, anyway. There's a stone here –perhaps you've heard of it? - that has properties that would be invaluable to our powers."

"Good for you; doesn't matter to me none." Silhouette glanced at the gate. "It's locked, isn't it? Aren't there supposed to be guards or something?"

"Obviously, they were foolish enough to think that whatever's smoking inside the research center is more important than us." Regal shook his head as he said this, sending droplets of rain everywhere. "I've half a mind to break the lock anyway."

"Way ahead of you." Silhouette paused, focusing her own form of negative Chaos Energy in her hand. She gave a look to her siblings that effectively meant "step back if you know what's good for you" before lobbing it at the gate, which collapsed into pieces. Behind her, she could hear the footsteps of the others, but decided against waiting; she ran ahead, closing the gap between the ruined gate and the Vomissa Research Center. There was no entrance quite like an explosion.

Silhouette threw the doors open, and was greeted not by surprised scientists, but by a chill that streaked down her spine, not from the cold rain clinging to her skin.

The entryway was littered with bodies.

She gazed at the sight in surprise and silence, not sure what to say. The scent of blood must have been the strongest, most repugnant smell in history. Someone touched her shoulder, and she tore her eyes from the corpses to the appalled expression of Gemini. She was surprised that he showed up so fast; he must have run for once.

"Holy shit. Why the hell are there-"

"I don't know."

Gemini slid his glasses off, his eyes widening. Silhouette noticed that his hands started shaking, even though he was holding tightly to her shoulder; it was both assuring and unnerving that she wasn't the only one that was scared.

She hadn't even noticed Ciel walk past them, until he was kneeling beside the nearest corpse. His long, clawed fingers traced the wounds on the body, his wings beating softly in contrast to the rain.

"They didn't die too long ago," He muttered. "Their energy…there are tiny little traces of life energy still in them."

"Then who-"

Silhouette almost thought she heard thunder, until she realized it was the same sound she heard when fighting the sniper. A gunshot. The hand on her shoulder was now trembling violently, and she gripped it with her own to try and calm her brother.

"You grab the others," Silhouette muttered. "I…I'll go on ahead. Maybe there are still survivors here."

She gave Gemini's hand one last squeeze before pulling it off, thankful that neither of them protested. She simply raised her head, and began to walk –trying not to remember a past that felt the same, cold and rotting, and trying not to give in to the fear that was looming with every pair of lifeless eyes.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Something's wrong in there."

Jengo's ears twitched at Addicus' rough whisper of a voice. Addicus was the one with the binoculars at the moment, keeping an eye on the Vomissa Research Center while the stowaway brothers hid inside their car. Ferric had accidentally driven the old thing into a ditch, but he claimed he had done it "so we could watch the others from the car, and no one would suspect a thing!"

"What's the problem?" The rust-streaked project asked. "Held up by guards or something?"

"There weren't any," Addicus flattened his ears, and the belts he wore writhed with his power. "However, I saw some of our other siblings…and they all froze when they got to the door."

The brothers all exchanged glances. The rain was falling faster; Jengo curled up in the seats, even though he was safe from the weather. He hated rain.

"I hope Boss is alright," Plague muttered.

"Plague, Ox has been through worse…Addicus, who else is here?"

"Silhouette, Krowe, Arella…and three others I didn't know. One looked like Sil."

"Interesting." Ferric poked his head out the window, allowing the rain to beat into his skull as he looked outside. The now-open window allowed a brisk wind to settle into Jengo's fur, and under his armor. Jengo shivered; he hated the rain, and he absolutely hated it here. The torrent outside was so heavy, even the grass was bogged down with water, and the shut windows were like the inside of a waterfall.

"_Show me…power…"_

The others were talking, but Jengo stopped listening; his fur was suddenly standing on end. He sensed something strange in there.

"_And I…shall not…"_

What was that? It sounded like his own voice…but different. Not exactly warped, but-

"Yo, Jengo! You listening? We're heading out! You waiting in the car?"

"No. I'm coming."

Jengo himself wasn't sure why he agreed to come along; while it was admittedly old, the car was warmer, dryer, and safer than anything outside its doors. But something in that research center…something…he had to see something in there. He just knew it.

He just didn't know why.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The first thing Oxion noticed when he entered the research center was an overwhelming stench of blood. It wafted around him, burying itself into his fur and clothes as he wandered in deeper, trying to choke him with disgust at the very thought of it. "Turn back," it seemed to say, "Turn back and don't return. You know what will happen if you stay." But to him, it didn't seem too bad. He had seen worse, if only in dreams. If this had been a dream, he wouldn't be walking so calmly.

"Oxion? This place is disgusting, completely and utterly disgusting. Why are we wasting our time here?"

Turning to his brother, the scientist adjusted his glasses, as if for a better view. "Why, Regal, why would you even suggest such a thing? I thought you wanted to find the stone."

Regal glanced around nervously from side to side, and the skin under his deep black fur was unusually pale. The tap from his boots as he stepped over a particularly large puddle of drained life was almost deafening in the silent halls. It seemed like only minutes ago, the others were alongside them…and they had gone separate ways, all searching for their own goals.

This hallway seemed like the worst way to go; a small creek of blood trickled along, picking up strength with each new, bleeding corpse it passed. Someone had walked through here already; that was the only explanation for those boot prints on the ground, weaving in and out of the crimson river.

No…the footprints were _leading_ the river.

"Yes, I do want to find it. However, it seems someone already had that idea."

"And you aren't good enough to find it first?" Oxion asked. He resisted the urge to smirk at Regal's expression, a mix between surprise, disbelief, and a sordid scowl.

"Of course I am! I could do it with my eyes closed!"

"I'd like to see you try," piped up , his face obscuring the numbers on Oxion's digital watch.

With a huff, Regal raised his head, holding it high as he strode past the others. "Fine. Just watch; you'll be impressed by how quickly and effortlessly someone like me gets that stone."

"And someone like you will get there before you yourself?"

Regal cast one glance back at them, full of arrogance and confidence, before marching off alone. In the background, was snickering at his success in goading the high and mighty sibling.

The scientist rolled his eyes, glancing at Synthica. His robotic daughter was silently staring at the puddle Regal walked over, as if contemplating how likely it was that the blood would suddenly splash for no good reason and stain her boots.

"Synthica? Mind running a scan on how many people are here in this building -alive?"

Instantly coming to attention, Synthica nodded. There was a faint, almost unnoticeable whir for a second before she spoke in her usual monotone.

"Approximately thirteen living, father. The majority appear to be Ultimate Lifeform projects like yourself. Of the remaining two specimens, one has been labeled as the late Project Ciel, and the other is unidentified."

That was it? Only them, and the person who presumably murdered everyone here? It was…an unnerving thought.

"Thank you Synthica. Come on; we'd best keep moving."

Was all of this because of that stone? That small little stone he just so happened to discover less than a day ago? It didn't seem possible. Still…people went a long way for power. That was something Oxion had learned a long time ago, even back on the Ark. Wasn't that why they were created, so the government would have power for a weapon, and the world would have power for…

For what?

Oxion wished he could have an honest reason for why they were created. Whatever it was, it couldn't possibly be peace.

_"Still, I'm not in it to GAIN power. I'm in this to undo what I was created to be. I'm here…to remove my powers. That's not a bad thing, right?"_

"Sensors indicate that Regal is going in the wrong direction. Shall I correct him?"

Oxion paused, as if he was able to hear the footsteps of all the living for one brief moment, and smell the beginning rot in all the dead.

"No need for that. He'll find his way; let's keep moving."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Aura was, for once, glad to almost be at a research center. She usually didn't mind the rain and the wet, but there was just so much of it…and the mud didn't help much either. Violet wasn't enjoying it either; she was cracking jokes about rusting, and how the sleeping Noxus was like a giant, heavy towel. It was getting tiresome.

"So, what all do you think they study here?" Violet asked. "Bombs, germs, or how smart rodents are? Seriously, can you believe some of the kooky things human scientists try? I heard they sometimes make mice go through all these long mazes for –wait for it- guess what?"

Had Aura been any less polite, she would have rolled her eyes before answering. "What?"

"Cheese. Ain't that stupid?"

"I never liked mazes," Aura muttered. Too many things had chased her through mazes, like mad, bloody cyborgs…but that was all over, right? Surely, this place would have no mazes, no blood, no-

"Good god." This, surprisingly, came from Noxus. The others looked up, and Aura suddenly had an urge to vomit. They had arrived at the open doors of the center, and memories came rushing back to the white hedgehog. Testing, monsters, the undesirables…

"No need to look so scared sis," Noxus muttered, not sounding as tired as usual. "We're here, aren't we? Nothing'll get you. You won't even have to walk in it- Violet'll carry you."

"That's right. Alley-oop!" Aura was whisked off her feet before any chance of protest, and seated on the shoulder of armor right across from Noxus. With a deep breath (despite not needing to breathe), Violet began wading through the seas of blood. Aura held tight, and shut her eyes.

_"My family is here. I'll be okay. My family is here, I'll be okay…"_

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The auditorium was ridiculously colossal for such a small research center. It was here that the overpowering scent of blood was the strongest, and the most bodies were strewn. Some of the newly deceased had a look of shock on their faces, while others had apparently been in the middle of a polite conversation. A few even seemed to have made it a few steps before they died, their footprints colored crimson like their wounds. One man had been shot while he was eating lunch, and his nose was dunked in his cup of now-cold coffee.

Somehow, it reminded Shadow of Westopolis during the Black Arm Invasion. Corpses, and an all-too familiar smell, tied the two scenes together in his mind like a sailor's knot. The only difference now, as far as he was concerned, was the lack of aliens. That, and he hadn't shot anything…yet.

"Think anyone else is here?" Ciel whispered, and even though he was right behind Shadow, his voice was almost impossible to hear. "Anyone…you know, living?"

"Yeah," Gemini answered, almost as quiet. "I think I see Sil over there. She must have just come in." There she was, Shadow saw, stepping over a fallen table with Arella right behind her. Krowe had already stepped in, and let out a loud whistle.

"Sure is nasty," Shadow could hear him say. "You don't think that sniper did all this, do ya?"

"He must've," replied Silhouette.

"Hot damn. Ah'm surprised he didn't run out of bullets."

At this point, Silhouette noticed Shadow looking at her, and shouted, "Any luck yet?"

"Nothing," He called back. "Just a mess."

"I don't like messes with bodies in them," Ciel muttered. "Especially since they're usually my fault."

Before another word could be spoken, part of a nearby, blood-splattered wall began to dissolve. A hand reached out as this was happening, gripping the rapidly deteriorating edges, until the hole was large enough for even Dr. Eggman to squeeze through. Regal sauntered in, followed by Oxion and Synthica.

"Fancy seeing you again!" Someone said sarcastically; Shadow was pretty sure it was Sil.

Regal shook his head, taking in the room with a sneer. Even if his face didn't let it on, the small shakes of his hands were enough to prove that the lavender-striped project was more than creeped by this place. Oxion, on the other hand, looked completely normal; he didn't even blink as he accidentally stepped on the tail of a deceased feline. His robotic "daughter," likewise, didn't seem surprised by this place.

"Is this everyone?" Arella piped up.

"Negative. Sensors indicate that Project Noxus, along with two others, have recently entered the vicinity. Also, the remaining four projects located in the building have been identified; Ferric, Jengo, Addicus, and Plague. Unknown specimen cannot be located at the moment." This was, of course, from Synthica, and this little piece of information brought a better response from the scientist than the bloody room did.

"Dammit; I thought I told them to stay at home for this one. Can't they listen to me just once?"

"Siblings never listen," Gemini said, just loud enough to be heard. Shadow almost wished he could laugh about that; given any other circumstance, he would have at least chuckled, since he knew how true it was.

There was a sudden, unmistakable sound of a gunshot ringing through the air, and Shadow immediately whipped out his own weapon in reflex. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see most of his siblings bracing themselves as well; some still had a noticeable trace of fear in the way they stood, or the way their eyes darted around the room.

"Came from this way," Krowe said, and almost as soon as he did, the fading sound of a gunshot was joined by the crashing of walls, and shortly after that, an explosion. Ferric ran through the entrance Silhouette had taken almost immediately afterwards, followed by Plague, Jengo, Addicus, and Violet -who was carrying Noxus and Aura- in that exact order.

"Something just tried to kill us!" Ferric shouted, panting as he came to a halt. "I mean, it just came out of nowhere and blam! There were bullets everywhere!" The others nodded, and Aura practically reeked of fright.

"Someone in gray," Addicus muttered.

That could only mean one thing.

A gunshot rang true once more, and everyone fell silent. It had come, it seemed, from the ceiling, and reverberated through everyone's bones. All eyes were drawn like magnets to the broken ceiling, as a figure the color of clouds descended and landed atop a broken support beam in the center of the auditorium. There was a gasp; Shadow couldn't be sure who caused it.

As the stillness settled in, Shadow became all too aware about the lack of life here. Even with the breathing of his siblings –most of which were hurried and shallow- there was no sound but the steady thud of the rain.

"Greetings," the figure said, its voice a harsh whisper that grated on Shadow's ears. "I am…impressed that so many of you showed up. Almost half of you projects."

"And who do you think _you_ are?" Regal asked, the first one with enough nerve to speak. "You think you can barge in here and kill everyone?"

The sniper turned its head toward Regal with aching slowness, and even though its face was covered by a thick gas mask, it gave off an air of hostility. "They were mere…distractions. I don't like my guests to be distracted." Regal tried not to look affected by this, but he couldn't help but back up a step.

"Why did you even bring us here?" This was from Silhouette, apparently getting fired up. "Tell us before I decide to get you back for trying to shoot us earlier!"

In response, a rifle the color of falling snow was whipped out and fired, louder than the one before it. It struck near where Silhouette was standing, but Shadow had the feeling it had been only a warning shot. The room fell into silence again, and this time, Shadow was all too aware of the choking smell of blood.

"I," the sniper continued, "Do not need a name. All I need is my Master, and that is what I've brought you here for." The figure paused, as if to make sure everyone was listening.

"My Master," it said, "needs a new guardian."

"What?!" Shadow heard someone shout; maybe it was himself.

"You heard correctly." The sniper turned around on his pillar, pulling out a stone that seemed to shine of every color, though Shadow swore the stone itself was silver.

"Sensors indicate that is the Domortia Stone." Synthica whipped out her wrist guns, aiming them at the sniper without a second thought. "Relinquish them, or I shall-"

"Synthica, desist," Oxion growled, putting a hand in front of his creation as if to block her. "Let him finish." At this, the robot slowly allowed her weapons to disappear back under her artificial skin, with surprising reluctance.

Giving the siblings the eerie feeling that it was smiling underneath that mask, the sniper spoke as if it had never been interrupted. "This stone is but a small fraction of my Master. The rumors, if you have heard them, are real…Domortia exists, as does its control over power. However, it can only stay secret as long as it is kept safe by its guardian. For the past decades, that has been…me."

Standing taller, the sniper fired another bullet up at the ceiling, like lightning reaching up for the sky. "My time is almost up now. Master knows this, and has decided that one of you projects –only one of you- shall become the new heir to its secrets."

"But why us?" Shadow was losing track of who was talking, too focused on the words and the rifle. Up above, a hole caused by the bullet allowed stray rain drops to fall, keeping the blood from going dry. A chill seeped in as well, intent on making the room's inhabitants seem even closer to death.

"Because…you do not belong in this world. You were made for it, yes, but you were made for more…you are the Ultimate Life Forms." The sniper raised its arms, encompassing the whole room in its gaze. "Do you wish for the power you truly deserve? Or do you wish to distance yourself from the fate you were handed by your creators? Either way, it matters not to me. You all shall seek out my Master, and destroy whomever crosses your path. Only the best shall inherit the role of its protector, and along with it, their wishes. Who it shall be, I will not know; my time runs out before then."

Shadow shook his head, and stepped forward. "You're suggesting that we have to compete for this…master of yours? Even if we don't want to?"

"You shall find it in your best interest to comply with the Master's wishes."

"Or else what?" Shot Krowe. "I don't know 'bout anyone else, but I don't think I care to be anyone's servant. What're ya'll gonna' do if I just up and walk out? Think ya could stop me after failin' once already?"

At first, Shadow thought the sniper didn't have anything to say. But all at once, three things happened. The gem flashed white, and the sniper disappeared with a small surge of power…and the lightning gun was fired.

Someone screamed. Other voices followed, all their shouting blending in to one chaotic mesh. Once again, the sniper as atop the broken beam, and it began to laugh with a voice like a hurricane screaming past the trees. The stone flashed white once more, and Shadow was aware of footsteps, running towards where Krowe was, and the revival of overpowering blood. In one brief instant, Shadow learned why.

There was Arella, face up and staring at the falling rain with a bullet in her forehead.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**Don't you just love cliffhangers?**


End file.
